Beauty and the Hick
by walkerstalker1969
Summary: Sheri finds herself in a bar that night, high on cocaine, in a town she has been in for only a week. Two brothers offer her a place to stay for a while, but she finds herself falling for Daryl. Can she tame him and help him come to terms with his past as she learns to overcome her own dark secrets? AU no ZA. Warning, drug abuse and addiction. Unsuitable for some readers.
1. Chapter One - The First Encounter

She stumbled into the bar, looking for some sort of alcohol to go with her infuriating high. _Why did I let Ashley convince me to snort that shit?_ Her mind was reeling, but she tried to focus on walking straight. The bartender gave her a once over, as if he was deciding whether or not she should be drinking. Thankfully he asked what she wanted to drink, ignoring her bright red eyes and slumped over posture.

"Beer. I don't care what kind. Surprise me." She buried her face in her arms as the man poured her a glass of Budweiser. He slid the glass over to her and walked away. A man sat down next to her as she took her first sip, but she couldn't make out his features through her blurry eyes.

"Can I help ya?" He asked. His tone was gravelly, almost too old for a man like him. She could see his face more clearly as her eyes readjusted. He had greying brown hair and a beard to match. He must have been somewhere in his forties, but his eyes contained a sparkle that made him look a hell of a lot younger. "Can ya even hear me?"

She nodded and looked away, embarrassed, "I, uh, I don't even fucking know." She shook her head causing her dark brown hair to fall into her eyes.

"You seem pretty fucked up." There was a hint of amusement in his voice that caused her face to flare red with anger.

"Well fuck you," she growled as she took another sip of her beer. "I might be fucked up, but at least…" her words trailed off as she had forgotten what her insult was. _Stupid_ , she became frustrated with herself.

"At least what?" He laughed, "Did ol' Merle make ya forget what you was gon' say? Hey, Darlina, come here." A man walked over, he was obviously younger than Merle and he had light brown hair that was just long enough to reach his ears. He had intense blue eyes that caught her attention immediately. "I think I found someone that can get more fucked up than me." He bellowed a laugh that stung her ears.

"Fuck you," her words began to slur, "it's not my fuckin' fault." That made him laugh even harder, causing her to slam her glass down. "Screw you!" A single tear made it's way down her cheek, she hadn't even realized she was crying. The man Merle had called Darlina looked at her with complete empathy, Merle must have done this a lot.

"If yer so angry why don't ya leave?" Merle asked, a smile plastered on his face. The truth was, she had no where to go. She'd been living with Ashley for the past week since her parents kicked her out, but she couldn't go back there. When she left, she had took all of her stuff with her, so she pretty much kicked herself out of there. With no money and no job, she was homeless and stuck in a bar trying to come down from her high.

"I have no where to go." Her honesty had surprised even her, why was she telling this to complete strangers? Merle's frown faded and she saw a hint of remorse in his eyes, but just as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

Merle winked, "Ya can stay with us." She chugged the rest of her beer and climbed down from her stool. She already had her backpack on so she turned to walk out. She could hitch hike down the road and find a ride to somewhere. "I was serious," Merle's voice called to her over the commotion of the bar, "me an Darlina got a place." She sighed, she had no where to go, and this was really her best option. She turned back towards Merle to see Darlina putting down a couple of bucks on the counter to pay for her drink. She took a deep breath and nodded, letting Merle and Darlina walk out so she could follow them to their blue pick up truck. Her mind was still reeling and her vision was blurring up again. This was going to be an interesting night.

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She awoke the next morning in a bed that she didn't recognize with a pounding headache. She couldn't remember anything that had happened after she got in the truck with those rednecks. She stumbled out of the room, wearing the same clothes as last night to see Darlina sprawled out on the couch. She must have been sleeping in his room. She walked back in and pulled her only other outfit out of her backpack, blue denim shorts and an old Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt that she had cut the sleeves off, making the armholes dip just below her bra. Sighing she pulled the outfit on and tied her hair into a tight bun, causing small strands of her dark hair to fall over the back of her neck. She walked across the hall into the bathroom and turned on the light. She looked in the mirror staring eye to eye with her own green gaze. There were bags under her eyes that made her skin look even paler, as if it wasn't fair enough already. Her tattoos covering her right arm stood out from her pale complexion, but the others were hidden away under her shirt. She had always considered herself to be average, but everyone always told her she was beautiful and a supermodel. She did have the figure to be a supermodel, but beautiful? She scoffed at the word. She left the bathroom to find that Darlina was now sitting upright on the couch rubbing the sleep from his eyes. She walked over and sat next to him.

"What's your real name?" She asked trying to sit as far away from him as possible.

"As opposed to my fake one?"

"Darlina."

He grunted at the name, clearly unamused, "It's Daryl." He stood up and walked into the kitchen which was really in the same room as the living room. She followed him, but stood across from him on opposite sides of the counter.

"Don't you wanna know my name?" She watched him as he rummaged through the cabinets, looking for coffee. When he didn't respond she decided to tell him anyways, "It's Sheri."

"Sheri," Merle's gruff voice came from the open door way of a bedroom, "never fucked a Sheri before." He laughed and then winked at her.

"Don't plan on it anytime soon unless you find a different Sheri in this town." She was repulsed at how straightforward and uncensored he was.

"Surprised I even found one," his tone became more serious, "what are ya doin' in this shithole anyways?"

She shrugged and picked off the chipped nail polish that still stuck to her nails, "Don't know really."

"Well where ya from?" Merle's curiosity seemed unusual to Daryl, his brother was more of a fuck and move on type of guy.

"New york. Not the city."

"How'd the hell ya get all the way down here?" Daryl spoke up, "Ya don't even got a car."

Again she shrugged, "Walking and thumbing my way along. Been on the move for a month now."

"Well, ya ain't movin' no more." Daryl slammed his palm down on the table. Merle raised an eyebrow at his brother, but turned and walked over to the couch. Sheri looked up at Daryl and caught his gaze, she smiled, making him turn his focus back to the coffee machine. Sheri watched as he reached up into the cupboard and pulled out a bag of generic coffee. She was somehow intrigued watching him do a mindless morning task. His muscles tensed up when he realized she was watching and he turned the machine on so that he could walk outside and get away from her, but she followed. He couldn't get away that easy.

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Merle watched through the living room window as Sheri tried to start a conversation with Daryl who was working on the truck, trying to ignore her. "Little brother needs to learn when a woman's interested." Merle shook his head and walked out to go show his brother 'how it's done'. "Hey city girl." Merle cooed.

Sheri's flirty attitude came to a halt when Merle approached, she didn't want him to think she liked Daryl although she was starting to. As Merle walked by he grabbed her ass making her jump and try to push his hand away desperately, but it wouldn't budge. "Let go you pig!"

"Well damn you have a nice ass, come over here and feel it little brotha." Finally, when her face turned bright red, he let go. Smirking, he added, "What you blushin' fer? Like the thought of his hand on yer ass sweetcheeks?"

"Stop." She murmured, lowering her head and hoping Daryl wouldn't see.

"Oh, so ya do? Well look at tha' Daryl, she's got a crush on ya." Daryl wanted to tell Merle to stop, but the look on her face was too priceless, maybe she really did like him. He shook his head, who was he kidding? She was probably blushing because Merle touched her ass.

"Stop it." Her voice was barely a whisper. This wasn't her, she had always been a loud, speak-your-mind type of girl. Scolding herself for acting so meek she puffed out her chest and smiled at Merle, "Maybe you're just mad 'cause there's a girl chasing your brother instead of you." At that Daryl looked up and threw a questioning glance her way. Her confidence had come out of no where and it threw Merle off a little. _I like this girl,_ Daryl thought.

"Good, it's 'bout time Daryl got a nice piece a' ass, but when ya get bored with him, let me know sweetcheeks," Merle winked at her then walked back into the cabin, laughing the whole way there.

"Sorry 'bout my brother," Daryl mumbled as he poured oil into the truck.

"It's okay, at least he made me speak my mind." She smiled wickedly when he looked up at her.

"Ya really like me?" She nodded, that smile never leaving her face. He shook his head and laughed, "Yer insane girl."

"I know," she winked before turning and walking back to the cabin. Her hips swaying with each step. This girl was going to drive him crazy, but he wasn't sure that was a bad thing.


	2. Chapter Two - Lay With Me

Merle had left for work, leaving Sheri alone in the house while Daryl worked on the truck outside. She decided to clean up a little, the place was a pigsty. There were empty beer cans littering the floors, miscellaneous pieces of garbage overflowing from the trash can, and there was a thick layer of dust that coated the entire house. As she got to work, starting with the garbage can, she let her mind wander. She was thinking about Daryl, she didn't necessarily have a crush on him, she had just met the guy, but he definitely caught her attention. She had never had good fortune when it came to relationships, she had gotten used to the abusive types, like she really deserved it. Her own stepfather had helped her believe that. He was an evil man, he abused her and her mother endlessly, but when she turned twenty-three and they stopped receiving child support from her father, she was no longer a part of that 'family'. She was sent out on her own to fend for herself, which was nothing new, but it was a weird feeling not having to please someone anymore. Being a people pleaser had been a way of life for her, she did as they asked and acted as a punching bag when they needed one, but for some reason, she didn't think that was how Daryl worked. Honestly, she didn't think that was how Merle worked either. She wasn't sure if that would be something she could get used to, she had become so accustomed to the life of a punching bag that it seemed there was no other way to live.

Once she finished with the garbage and beer cans, she searched the house for a broom and duster so she could get to work on the endless layer of grey matter. She found a small closet with the cleaning supplies and a pile of dirty clothes. Daryl must have moved them when he let her sleep in there. Seeing as there was no washer or dryer her, she decided she'd take them to the laundromat later that day. She began to sweep the hallway when she heard the front door creak open. Daryl rounded the corner to see her at work, pushing the dirt and dust into a pile she could pick up.

"What are ya doin'?" His voice made her flinch slightly, and stop her task.

"I just thought, well, I wanted to help out and I found these," she motioned to the broom and duster, "I'm sorry." She was frustrated at her rambling, but she didn't know how to act around him, he seemed upset that she was cleaning, which made no sense to her.

"Why are ya sorry? Ya don't gotta do this ya know, ya ain't our maid." His voice was relaxed and she found comfort in it.

"Well," she started, ready to apologize again, but changing her mind she smiled and said, "who else is gonna do it?"

He laughed and shook his head, "Guess yer right."

"Get your dirty clothes together, and Merle's, I need a ride to the laundromat." Raising an eyebrow, he did as he was told. She felt empowered not being treated like a slave for once, maybe she could actually get used to this.

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As they pulled up in front of an old wooden building labeled 'Laundro-Matty', Sheri dug through her backpack pulling out a handful of quarters. She climbed out of the truck and went to grab the bags of laundry, but Daryl beat her to it, lifting both bags out of the bed with two strong arms. He followed her across the street into the building which was oddly modernized.

"Woah," he said under his breath. This must have been the most well kept place in the whole town.

"Shows how much you've been here," she laughed and her fingers lightly brushed over his as she grabbed one of the bags from his hand. She set it down on a table and opened it enough so that she could dump its contents into a nearby washing machine. Daryl opened the other bag and did the same, dumping it into the machine next to hers. She began to place the quarters into the slot of both machines, turning them on so that she could start the flow of water. She handed him a dollar in quarters and pointed to the soap dispenser, "Get gain 3-in one pods, they're the best ones I've used." Nodding, he did as she asked and got the little green box with four soap pods inside. She placed two in each machine and closed the top.

They sat down in the row of chairs behind them and waited for the machines to finish their job. "Why are ya doin' this?" He asked, the question had been prodding at his mind. He couldn't figure out why a woman he just met was taking it upon herself to clean for him and his brother.

She shrugged, "It's something that was bea-," she stopped and rephrased her words, "instilled in me since I was a child." She started picking at her nail polish, which seemed to be a nervous habit.

"What were ya gonna say?" She just shook her head, she didn't want to talk about it and he understood even without an explanation. He didn't even know why he was asking so much, he wasn't much of a talker either.

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They did the laundry in silence the rest of the time they were there. Once she folded up the clothes and separated them in each bag, one for him and one for Merle, they headed back. Not a word was spoken until they walked through the front door to see Merle drunk as could be with a blonde-haired tramp doing lines in the kitchen.

"Merle, what the fuck," Daryl sighed, he hated drugs and he had since he was little. Sheri walked by, ignoring the scene and set Merle's clothes in his room on the floor by the door. She walked down the hall and did the same with Daryl's. She seemed unfazed by the situation, but she was fighting the temptation inside of her. She hated drugs more than anything, but that was only because she fell powerless to the alluring high that the powder always seemed to give her. She had never wanted to do drugs, but she had always been around them and it was once an accepted way of life for her. Drugs had taken her away from the pain the men in her life caused, but once it became an addiction she hated herself for ever engaging in the activity.

"Hey Sheri," Merle called down the hall, "wanna join me and this pretty little lady for some fun in my room?" Each word slurred as they escaped his lips, a feeling of complete disgust washed over her.

"No Merle," she hissed angrily, walking past him to the couch. A sweat began to break out across her forehead, the withdrawal was slowly breaking her down.

He followed her and sat next to her, trying to pull her onto his lap, "Come on," he laughed wickedly, "I got more experience than my little brother, I can make you feel a hell of a lot better than he ever could sweet cheeks."

She snickered, "I highly doubt that." The words caught Daryl's attention, and when her face turned red, he knew she might actually believe what she said. He shook his head and walked outside onto the porch, trying to bring himself back to reality. She couldn't possibly like him, he was just the awkward little brother and she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. That blonde-haired, plastic-faced tramp, had nothing on her.

She sighed and went to stand up to go talk to Daryl to get her mind off of the cocaine spread out all over the counter, but Merle grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her onto his lap, his erection was pressing against her thigh and she felt like she was going to vomit. "Jesus Christ Merle, let go of me." Merle's anorexic blonde finally interfered and dragged Merle into his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them. Sheri's head was spinning and she wouldn't be able to resist the all too inviting powder much longer. It lay on the counter in neatly cut lines as if it was waiting for her. She pressed her knees to her chest as she sat on the couch facing away from the temptation. Tears began streaming down her pale cheeks as she fought the addiction with every ounce of power she had.

She hadn't even heard the front door open and close, or the sound of footsteps as Daryl rushed towards her. She could barely see out of her overflowing eyes as Daryl stood her up slowly and guided her outside. "Did Merle do this?" She shook her head, unable to find the words to explain what was happening to her. "What is it?" His voice was laced with concern, he couldn't figure out what was wrong. Merle had never gone through withdrawal like this, he'd usually just disappear for a few days and then show up at home high all over again.

"I can't," she choked the words out slowly, "be near that shit. I fucking can't." That's when he realized what she was truly struggling with, he hadn't known how deep-rooted her addiction was until now. Her face was sunken in, her complexion was flush, she had dark bags under her eyes, and her breathing was shallow. He picked her up and carried her past the counter covered in powder, shielding her view from the substance, and all the way to his room where he laid her down underneath the flannel blankets. He tucked her in, hoping that some sleep would help her recover. He wasn't quite sure what else he could do, but when he went to leave the room she grabbed his hand and pulled him back over to the bed.

"Lay with me, please." Her eyes pleaded for him to stay with her. She didn't want to suffer alone and when he laid down on top of the covers next to her a small wave of relief washed over her. She tucked herself underneath his arm and rested her head on his chest. His body tensed at her touch. He didn't know how to respond, he had never held someone like this, but as she drifted off into sleep he relaxed little by little. This girl was changing everything he had thought he'd known.


End file.
